US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. said yesterday (Thursday) that the US will oppose a declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) on chronic diseases on the grounds that it advocates abortion and promotes “an extreme ideology of gender.”

Robert Kennedy Jr. made the remarks during a UN meeting, on the sidelines of the organization’s General Assembly, on “the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being.”

The US Secretary of State assessed that the WHO declaration ignores “the most urgent health problems”.

Despite US opposition, the WHO declaration is expected to be approved by a majority of the 193 UN member states in October.

The UN and its agencies are in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump, who after returning to the White House in January began the process of withdrawing the US from the WHO.

On Monday, Trump recommended that pregnant women not use paracetamol, linking it to an increased risk of autism in children, prompting a reaction from the WHO.